What Is the Role of a Real Estate Attorney?

Real estate documents contain legalese that can be difficult to understand without an experienced professional to help you interpret the language. Given what’s on the line, it is imperative to find an attorney you trust to advise you on your rights and responsibilities at every stage of the process and ensure you get a fair deal.

Our experienced team can prepare or review and negotiate a contract of sale, obtain and review the title, coordinate with the lender, attend the closing, and review closing documents for residential and commercial real estate sales and purchases. 

We provide legal representation for the following matters:

• Residential real estate
• Commercial real estate
• Real estate finance
• Mortgage banking law
• Condominium purchase
• Cooperative purchases

Protect Your Interests: Real Estate Purchase Legal Aid in NY

If you are purchasing real estate in New York, you can opt to let the seller’s attorney handle the contract for you. However, doing so will likely result in a contract that favors the seller, not you. When you hire your own attorney, you can rest assured that your interests will be protected throughout the process, including the contract language that’s created and ultimately signed by both parties. 

Working with a NY real estate lawyer is especially beneficial if you are buying:

• A property out of town
• A commercial property
• A bank-owned or short-sale property
• An estate sale property
• A property that may have structural issues

The complex nature of each of these cases means you will want an attorney you trust to review the contract for potential mistakes, legal issues, and/or unfair clauses. 

At Letterio & Haug, LLP, we go even further when representing buyers, not only reviewing and amending contract language as needed, but also negotiating repairs and adjustments after the title search and home inspection have been completed to ensure our clients’ best interests are met. We also make ourselves available to attend closing with you to provide advice and guidance if any last-minute issues come up.

Expert Guidance for Real Estate Sellers in New York

Given the amount of time, paperwork, and money that go into selling a home, hiring a lawyer to assist in the process is an indispensable asset for protecting your interests and preventing costly missteps. 

Outside of the closing process where the presence of an attorney is required, you should seriously consider hiring legal representation for sales involving special circumstances, such as: 

• Estate sales, where ownership documents will need to be assessed and verified by someone who is intimately familiar with the real estate process. 
• Joint sales, which involve the interests of someone other than yourself or your spouse, meaning you’ll want an attorney who can protect and prioritize your interests. 
• Liens, where proper communication with the title company will be an essential component to ensuring all lien holders are paid, thus allowing for closing to occur without any hitches.  
• Short sales, where your lender has agreed to allow you to sell the home for less than you owe, which creates its own set of complexities throughout the process. 

Legal Support for Real Estate Lenders in New York

Letterio & Haug, LLP represents lending institutions throughout the state of New York.  We have two decades of combined experience representing mortgage brokerage firms, institutional lenders, and private banking institutions in real estate transactions. We work to keep our clients informed throughout the process, and they always have access to the managing attorney working on their case.

Our attorneys prepare and review all necessary documents, including:

• UCC financing statements
• Consolidation, extension, and modification agreements
• Recognition agreements
• Subordination agreements
• Other ancillary loan closing documents

Working with a NY real estate law attorney is especially important as a lender because it can help prevent (or resolve) lender liability disputes – such as claims of lender misconduct or bad faith – that can arise during mortgage closings and potentially jeopardize the stability and reputation of your mortgage company. 

Get in Touch with Beacon's Trusted Real Estate Attorneys

At Letterio & Haug, LLP, our firm is small enough to guarantee that you will never be treated as just a case file and experienced enough to handle any real estate transaction that comes our way. 

Contact us online or by phone at (845) 203-0997 to arrange a consultation. Located in Beacon, NY, we represent buyers, sellers, lenders, landlords, tenants, and the like throughout the state.